Priceless

Having our 2 fat, lazy dogs groomed - $120
New cage for our Houdini Hamster - $40
Gas to Petco - $0 (Thanks to the Dealership filling up my gas tank in my NEW car)
Knowing the dogs will soon become "real members" of the family b/c they will be inside; Knowing Houdini Hamster may be less likely to escape his habitat (at least slowed in the process); Seeing the look on Reese's face as he watched the different animals and hearing him say "pish"(just as my brother did as a baby) and "bird" - PRICELESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't blog much about our dogs, but we have 2 - a Golden Retriever, Gus (who weighs a whopping 120+ lbs) and a Lab mix, Mollie (who is quite the Diva). They have always been inside dogs, but when we moved into our new house I put them out back because I didn't want them to ruin our carpet (I wasn't sure when I'd be able to get the floors put in). But now that we've got our floors in, I am more inclined to let them in. I still don't know if it will be a permanent thing because I really don't want our house smelling like dogs, but at least that option will now be available. Either way, they are in some serious need of grooming (Gus needs a shave and Mollie needs a good bath). I know Cory is not a big fan of Mollie going to the groomer, but I don't have time to wrestle with her to give her a bath. Honey, she will be fine - when you get home, you can fight with her!
Also, if you are new to our blog, we have a Houdini Hamster. His name is Bugsy and he's a gift from Santa (he must be, because no parent in their right mind would buy such a creature - EVER). He escapes at least 2 times a week - no matter what cage he's in or how much food is in there. The last time he escaped, he was out for several days and one day we went to check the cage and he had let himself back in - true story. I didn't put him back, Samantha hadn't been home to put him back and Hailey hates him & would never touch him to put him back. So we found a cage today that gives me hope that his days of escaping may be over.... MAYBE. I'll keep you posted!

In deployment news, looks like Cory is going to be delayed coming home one more month. This is disheartening but we are trying to look at the silver lining. I will have more time to complete my "list" and that will be one more month of tax free pay! He should be promoted within the next few weeks. He has good days and bad days - luckily the good are far outweighing the bad these days. Not much longer and we can move forward to the next phase of our life!!
So that's it. We're sailing along, sometimes the ride is peaceful and serene and other times we're riding the waves of the high seas. Check back for pictures of all the changes that have been going on around our house!

Next best thing...

While having Cory on the other side of the planet has been trying on so many levels, I thank God I have the next best thing here to help me around the house - my Dad (well, stepdad, but if you know me, you know my issues with my "real"dad - so John, is it for me!). He has done so much over the last few months and really over my entire life - at least the 19 years he's been with my mom! I just wanted to give a GINORMOUS shout out to him! I'm not sure if he reads my blog, but I want the world to know how wonderful he is!!
John -
Thank you for everything you have done to keep me sane! For cutting our grass, multiple times. For laying the quarter round for our floors, even though it took way longer than it should have. For buying my flowers for the flower bed in front of the house. For planting said flowers in a bed that I thought was unplantable! For being willing to help my buy our new car and new lawn mower! For keeping the kids for a week straight while I worked and our house was in shambles from all the "renovating". For always being willing to come and help me with whatever "bee has gotten in my bonnett". For loving me as if I was genetically bound to you. For showing me that any man can be a father, but it takes a real man to be a Dad. For loving our kids as if they were your own. For spoiling us ALL rotten! For calming me down when my battery has died in the car, in the garage - even from 2 hours away! For sacrificing time with Momma, your wife, because I have to be at work at 7 and need to take a nap. For showing Reese the love of a man while Cory is away. For lovingly directing me in a different direction when I am heading down a wrong path. For loving me through my "troubled years" and knowing that I still am a bit "troubled" - and loving me anyway. For always giving me your honest opinion, while sometimes a bit brash - but always offering a way to fix what needs to be. For being a Dad, when you didn't have to be!
I love you more than words can say and I am so thankful that you chose us to be your family! Your neverending sacrifices and love have earned you the title of Dad in my life - now and forever. And while, at best, I am an over demanding, moody, self centered, opinionated, rebellious, spoiled rotten brat - I am and will always be your little girl! I love you and I hope that in someway, somehow, I make you as proud of me as I am of you! "Thank you" does my gratitude no justice. You are the greatest! And while you cannot replace Cory in our house, in our kids lives, or in my heart (not that you'd want to), you always have been and always will be the next best thing!

Hump day happenings

Yes, I'm blogging at 3am. But its ok, I'm at work - I'm supposed to be up! The last few days have been CRAZY around our humble abode. Here's a brief synopsis - Friday, I worked (on my "day off) for another girl in my office whose mom died. Saturday I painted the back wall of my kitchen - to say it was disasterous would do it no justice. It has been fixed, but its taken me MANY hours and MANY MANY coats of paint. Sunday, our laminate (faux hardwood) floors were put in.(**before you gasp, yes, I am aware that it was Easter Sunday and I made every attempt to get the 'contractors' to go partake in Easter festivities, then insisted that if they weren't at my house, they'd be somewhere else working) Monday, it was back to work. Tuesday we went for our daily trip to Lowes to buy the quarter round to finish the floors, pick bubba up at daycare, then to soccer practice. After all that, I dropped the girls off at my parents and went home. I couldn't sleep, so I decided to paint the base boards and trim of the kitchen. Now I am at work and it has been wide open.
So that's been my week so far. The rest of the week consists of laying the quarter round, touching up paint and putting everything back where it goes in my house. Saturday, I'm having this lady and some other ladies over to our house to celebrate the upcoming birth of her son. This is also my weekend to work! So I'll be exhausted when all is said and done... but the kitchen and floors are DONE!!! (btw, I looked into putting in the ceramic flooring - i'll be holding off on that for a little while!)
In Army news, looks like we are in the 2mth time frame of redeployment (Cory's coming home). I can't believe that the end is near. Cory is doing well, hopefully you have been following his blog as well. If not, go check it out!!!!!
So that's it. Life's crazy again at our house. But for me its a sign of good things to come! Hopefully soon I will post pics of Easter. No promises!

Honey Do

The "word in the mountains" is that I can count on 2 hands the number of weeks left until my hubby returns. To say I'm excited would be an understatement. I've got a ton of things I need to get done before Cory comes home. When he left, I told him I would have sooooo much done when he got home. I knew that I would procrastinate and even told some friends and family to prepare to be prepared to have to lend a hand on a time crunch! Luckily, I have wonderful people around me who have come to expect this and love me through the stress! Here's a list of things that are on my "honey do" list. (I hope to use this as a public accountability tool - as I plan on update the list each week!)
*Put in Laminate flooring (aka faux hard woods) in the living room/kitchen
*Paint the back wall of our kitchen - Cory got all but this wall painted before "the chaos"
*Paint the kids bathroom
*Steam clean the carpet in the bedrooms
*Look into putting ceramic tile into the bathrooms/laundry rooms
*Acquire a lawn mower - either used or new
*Cut the grass (more than once)
*Look into trading our car in for something with a lower payment
*Finally take the "stuff" I've had packed for Goodwill to Goodwill
*Try to find an upholstery place to redo our kitchen chairs
*Clean out the garage
*Take the dogs to the groomers for a bath and shave
*Find a new home for the hamster - Samantha has finally decided to relinquish her ownership (after Bugsy got out AGAIN today)
*Reorganize our closet so that Cory can have room to put his clothes
*Move my stuff out of Cory's side of the dresser (sorry, honey, it has taken me all 6 drawers to put my clothes in - do you think they make a "mens" dresser for our suit?)
*Clean our house - I mean REALLY clean it!
*Get the big screen tv from my inlaws for the living room
*Buy plants for our "porch" and flower bed in front of the house
*Buy furniture for our patio
*Arrange for my shifts to be covered at work while I'm away
*Find a place to stay while I"m in Texas for 3 weeks
*Fix our fence in the backyard - its got some rough spots

WOW! That looks like a lot. I know I'm forgetting several things. I'm glad I'm a procrastinator - because I know I'll be so busy with this stuff that I won't have too much time to be anxious about Cory coming home!
Soccer starts tomm. So on top of my list, I've got both girls doing soccer, I've got my normal duties and I've got to work. Should be fun! I can only pray that everyone stays healthy and in one piece until its all over!

Stolen pictures

Ok, so I stole some pictures from this blog. Hope you don't mind, Annie! They were just too cute!

Reese playing in the sand. FYI - the shirt he has on actually belonged to Cory when he was a baby. We've got ALL of Cory's clothes - my MIL saved them all (and I mean them ALL). Its neat to pull out some of the stuff and get Reese to wear them!

Kisses for Mommy! Here recently, everytime I ask if can have a kiss, he says "NoNo and shakes his head" Its a game for him. I'm glad Annie caught him being sweet!

Aren't they the cutest bunch of kids? Samantha, Camden (Hannah's "best boy"), Hannah and Hailey! I"m glad you can get them to pose pretty for you, Annie!

**Be sure to read the post below! I need your help! Have a great night!

Beach bums and crafty creators

For those of you who didn't know, my family and I have been at the beach for the week. This was my first beach vacation in 7 (yes 7) years. My parents usually take the kids without me because I am NOT a big fan of the beach (and that's an understatement). Anyway. It was a good time - so good that I may even go back next year!

Here are a couple pictures from our trip:(maybe one day I'll get around to posting more pics - that's a big maybe!)

Our little man! Isnt he the cutest beach bum you've seen today? The bandana is to keep his head (which still has very little hair) from burning! And yes I did put a shirt on him while on the beach! Look at his little flip flops! OMG!!!!!!!!!! I.could.eat.him.up!

And the crazy girls! Don't ask what they are doing. They are not big fans of having their pictures taken. Hailey is on the left and Samantha is on the right! They LOVE the beach. Don't you think they are growing up too fast? (BTW that's Hannah our cousin/niece in the bottom corner - she was there too with her Mommy, and "best boy" Camden, and Daddy at the end!)

Look for more updates about our trip, maybe some pictures. I'm hoping that my sister in law, Annie posts some pics from our "projects" that my Mom decided would be "fun". She wanted memories to be made, and believe me - they were.

On a side note: I am looking for a cute bag (maybe back pack) to carry with Reese's stuff in it. I have a diaper bag but its GINORMOUS and I am always packing it with random stuff because I feel like it needs to be full since its so big. I am wanting to downsize. I know I have seen cute bags somewhere, but can't seem to find ANY now. Everything looks so girly(which is great for a girl). I need something that Cory will not be ashamed to carry when he takes Reese places without me! I no longer need a huge bag as the daycare provides everything (diapers, wipes, food, etc) he needs there and we are never too far from home for too long. Any suggestions of places I should be looking or anyone that would be willing to make such a thing?!?!?